Police in Canada patrolling truck stops to prevent cargo theft

As cargo theft continues to be a pervasive issue, law enforcement agencies are ramping up efforts to curb the number of stolen freight. Halton Regional Police in Ontario, Canada, is patrolling truck stops as part of an ongoing program to stop cargo theft.

Police officers in Milton and Halton Hills, located in the southwest part of the Greater Toronto Area, are spending more time at truck stops to prevent cargo theft. According to Sgt. Paul Rudall of the Halton Regional Police Service District Response Unit, in addition to patrolling truck stops the department is educating patrol staff to look at indicators that might allow them to recognize potential attempts at theft.

“[Cargo theft] is an issue that occurs periodically throughout the course of the year,” Sgt. Rudall told Land Line. “It being a crime that we have a responsibility to try and prevent from happening, [patrolling truck stops] is one our strategies that we use to try and reduce the number of cargo thefts that occur.”

Halton Regional Police is also reaching out to the general public. Awareness is another top priority in prevention. Police are communicating to the public via social media. With communication being a two-way street, Halton Regional Police is also seeking advice and information from the public, which can be done through their Crime Stoppers program.

According to FreightWatch International’s 2014 cargo theft report, cargo risk for 2015 is expected to increase slightly over 2014. Cargo theft incidents declined 12 percent in 2014 compared with 2013, but the average value of the thefts increased by 36 percent, suggesting thieves are becoming more organized in targeting potential freight.

FreightWatch also noted that 87 percent of all thefts with a known location occurred within unsecured parking areas. Of those thefts, the most common locations were truck stops that lacked security. Last year, 90 percent of thefts occurred when the truck was stationary and unattended, according to the report.